Sign-removing implement



-REMOYING IMPLEMENT Original Filed Dec. 22, 1956 Patented Feb. 28, 1939 I A 2,148,70l

1 STATES 'VSIGN-RIEMOVING IMPLEMENT Lee C. -L0 y, Tyler, Tex,

Original application December 22, 1936, Serial No. 117,196. Divided and this application Au gust 26, 1937, Serial No. 161,164

2 Claims.

, 1936, and having Serial Number 117,196.

One object of the invention is to provide a signremoving or detaching implement which is so constructed that a sign board or other sign element having securing means constructed in accordance with the disclosure of the co-pending application may be very easily detached from the companion mounting member secured to a wall or other support. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide a sign-removing implement having one end specially constructed for use in removing a sign from a mounting member and having its other end so constructed that it may also'be employed as a sign-removing means or as a screw-driver.

It is another object of the invention to provide a sign-removing implement which may be formed from a single blank of strong sheet metal and will be of a strong and durable construction, very easy to operate and capable of being manufactured at a small cost.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a view showing the improved signr-emoving implement in side elevation and operatively engaged with a'sign shown in section and constructed in accordance with the disclosure in the co-pending application, and

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the sign-removing implement.

The sign, which is indicated in general by the numeral 1, consists of a board or metal plate upon the outer face of which lettering or other characters may be painted or otherwise provided. A backing plate 2 which is preferably formed of metal is secured against the rear or inner face of the board I in any desired manner and formed with an opening 3 in which a fastener member 4 is secured by rivets 5. The fastener member 4 g is of the same construction illustrated in the copending application referred to above and when engaged in a socket member 6 carried by a wall or other support I the sign will be firmly but detachably held in place. The two fastener members 4 and 6 carried, respectively, by the sign and the support are snapped into engagement with each other when the sign is mounted and in order to remove the sign for replacement thereof by another sign, it is necessary to pry the sign outwardly from the wall or support 1 and thus detach the fastener member 4 from the fastener member 6. This is accomplished by means of the implement constituting the subject-matter of this invention.

The improved sign-removing or detaching implement is formed from a single blank of metal having sufficient thickness to impart the desired strength tothe implement and prevent bending thereof when it is in use The elongated strip of sheet metal from which the implement is formed is bent in spaced relation to one end to provide a shank 8 and a foot 9 extending from the forward end thereof. The forward end portion of the strip of sheet metal has its intermediate portion cut out so that, when this forward end portion is bent upwardly to provide a lip ID, a portion of the metal strip within the confines of the cut out will form a tongue or blade ll extending forwardly from the foot 9 in the plane of the foot. This blade or tongue is beveled from its outer surface to provide a tapered or beveled end 12 which is provided in order that the forward end portion of the tongue may be easily forced between the support I and the lower edge portion of the backing plate 2. Pressure may then be applied to the shank 8 to rock the implement upon the foot 9 thereof and swing the tongue or blade away from the support I, and as this tongue or blade swings outwardly from the support the backing plate and the sign board to which it is secured will be forced outwardly and the fastener member 4 snapped out of engagement with the fastener member 6. When the sign board is snapped loose from the fastener member 6, it will naturally tend to drop downwardly but since the lip [0 extends outwardly from the upper edge of the foot and is curved forwardly it will serve as a block or abutment to engage the lower edge of the sign board and limit downward movement of the detached sign board. It will thus be seen that the sign board, when detached, can not drop upon a pavement and become broken or otherwise damaged. The other end portion of the shank 8 is tapered to form a blade 13 which may be employed as a screw-driver for use when mounting the attaching member 6 to the wall or other support 1, and when it is so used, the foot and the lip or tongue ID will serve as a handle and thus permit the implement to be firmly grasped when tightening the screws M. An opening I5 is formed in the tapered end portion. [3 of the shank in order that the implement may be suspended from a nail or pin driven into a wall or applied to a key ring or the like when the implement is not in use.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A detaching implement for a sign-mounting member comprising a strip of material cut in spaced relation to one end to provide a tongue extending longitudinally of the strip and attached at its rear end, the said end portion of said strip being bent transversely in alinement with the attached end of said tongue to provide a lip extending upwardly and forwardly over the tongue and terminating in a plane spaced upwardly from the tongue, and said strip being also bent transversely at a point spaced rearwardly from the at-- tached ends of the tongue and the lip to provide the implement with a flat foot having the tongue projecting forwardly therefrom in its plane and a shank extending upwardly at an incline from the rear end of said foot.

2. A detaching implement for a sign-mounting member comprising a shank, a foot extending forwardly from the front end of said shank at an obtuse angle thereto and having a flat under face, a tongue extending forwardly from the foot intermediate the width thereof and in the plane of the foot, and a lip extending upwardly and forwardly from the forward edge of the foot and terminating in a plane spaced upwardly from the plane of the tongue and adapted to serve as a stop for limiting downward movement of a member detached by prying action of the tongue.

LEE C. LOY. 

